Watch James Taylor mess up national anthem before World Series Game 2

Chuck Schilken

James Taylor got a little mixed up.

The Boston-born singer was set to perform two songs at Thursday's Game 2 of the World Series between the Boston Red Sox and St. Louis Cardinals at Fenway Park -- "The Star-Spangled Banner" before the game and "America the Beautiful" during the seventh-inning stretch.

Everything seemed to be going fine ... until he sang the second word of the song.

Instead of following the word "oh" -- which just happens to start the lyrics of both songs -- with "say," Taylor instead sung the word "beautiful." That's when the entire country realized he was singing his seventh inning song just a wee bit early.

Luckily, Taylor realized it too, and seamlessly segued into the national anthem like the seasoned pro that he is.

It could have been a lot worse. At least he started singing another patriotic song, rather than some other song that begins with the word "oh."

Just think how much sillier he would have looked if he had started singing "Home on the Range," Toni Basil's "Mickey" or one of the numerous Christmas songs that start that way (about a holy night, a Christmas tree, the town of Bethlehem, all ye faithful, etc).

Or worst of all, the 65-year-old Rock and Roll Hall of Famer could have started singing "OMG" by Usher or "Baby" by Justin Bieber ... no wait, that would have been pretty awesome.